


Little Boy Lost

by quicksylver28



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Major character death - Freeform, Mild Language, Multi, Rape/Non-con Elements, Underage Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-17
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 12:01:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2150007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quicksylver28/pseuds/quicksylver28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a collection of stories dealing with a forgotten Winner Heir turned child assassin and what happens when he meets with Gundam Pilot Quatre and the boys.</p><p>this needs to be edited because i love the character and need to edit some of the weird shit i put in this story. lol</p><p>Would you believe that this is the first fanfiction i everfucking wrote?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimers apply

Warnings? AU, angst, rape, shounen-ai...nothing to graphic though- your eyes won't pop out.

 

Enjoy my first fic attempt! 

 

 

Earth A.C. 195  
Hakodate city, Hokkaido Island  
Japan

 

He looked out the huge bay window overlooking the quad. The light of the sun poured through the swaying leaves of the trees that were scattered over the lawn, dancing over the students seated beneath them. The sky was a cloudless blue and the wind came in a gentle breeze. A perfect day for being outdoors...if you liked that sort of thing. Frosty blue eyes observed the scene, meticulously scanning each face, each building. After years of training it came naturally. A voice, high-pitched and whiny, bombarded his ears. He turned to face it's owner.

"Welcome to the Raymond Osaka School for Boys, Mr St. Claire."

The scrawny executive assistant peered at him through bottle glasses, her twiggish form accentuated by her choice of basic clothing and the extremely tight bun that was pulled to the top of her head. Her face was thin and her skin pasty. He nodded politely and took a seat in the only other chair in the room. Chairs like this are used so that the occupant does not get to comfortable, and therefore, is uneasy and lose their confidence. To think that a simple chair could have such a subtle psychological effect on people, he smirked inwardly.

She shuffled her papers uneasily under his unmasked scrutiny. His eyes were cold and unblinking: They gave her a chill so she retreated into mindless babble.

"Let's see now...ah yes! Ivory St. Claire...Interesting name don't you think?"

Silence

"Well...hmmm...ah here it is...coming to us from Rosary Boys Prep. in South Africa...my! They have a very good reputation. Hmmm...all fees paid in advance, single room...with private bath mind you! Majoring in Modern Science and Experimental Technology...very hard classes to get into."

I know, he agreed silently.

"We are the only school that hosts Experimental Technology. Funded by the Romerfeller Foundation. We're very proud of it." she boasted.

She glanced up at the boy, he was a statue. Smooth alabaster skin like marble with a beautifully carved angel's face. His platinum hair, held in a high ponytail, cascaded past his shoulders to stop mid-back. Those eyes that gave her goose bumps were light blue with specks of silver grey. They stared, unblinking, swallowing all that they looked upon. Her bottom lip trembled, the smoldering intensity of his stare weighing down on her. if she didn't do something she was going to drown in those eyes.

"Well that's it then" she said, her voice squeaking even higher than usual, grating even her own ears. 

He stood quietly, nodded and left the room. As the door closed behind him she slumped bonelessly into the plush leather chair. Why did the headmaster have to go to that conference on L6? He should have had to face that boy, she pined wistfully. I'm not suited for this work...I'm just an assistant. She looked at the closed door. I hope I never have to see him again.

 

***** 

He stood quietly in the centre of the the dorm room. Outside the window lay the basketball court and beyond that lay a small playground. There were children laughing and romping in the sand filled circle. He tilted his head slightly, watching them...their innocence. The innocence that he had known once...so long ago it seemed a dream.

 

Earth A.C.188- Yasmine  
Pune train Station, India.

She stood at the edge of the platform, holding the small hand in hers. Blue eyes stared up into hers, tearful and afraid. How could such beautiful eyes disgust her so very much? Those were of his father- that bastard. she had been only sixteen when they met and fallen in love. she had become pregnant for him so they ran away, full of hope for the future. But he had died in a horrible train wreck, died and left her pregnant and alone. Too unskilled to fend for herself, too ashamed to call on her family.

She had given birth in a half way house under the father's name for fear that some one might recognize her name and call her family... or even worse, pity her. That she could never bear. She had named him Terri, Terri Vega. It was his father's name. 

For the next eight years she had endured hell, anchored by her pride and a pair of blue eyes. She resented those eyes, those pleading eyes filled with purity and love. They burned her. She should have left him at the Halfway house, left him there and gone back home. But it was too late, too late to do anything but endure those blue eyes that were draining her life away.

But then... through the darkness had come a light. Kamal, the man who loved her, who still loved her after all these years, had found her. She had been betrothed to him and had dishonoured him when she eloped. But he still loved her and wanted to marry her. Dear Allah was a merciful God. She was going home, to live. 

But Kamal was adamant, the child could not come. The boy would shame both their families with his very existence and he would not raise another man's child. It would be kept secret from all but a few key people. She was relieved. it was like dead weight finally cut away, like shackles removed.

She looked down at him and smiled thinly. He smiled in return and her heart twisted.

"You'll come back and get me right Mai?" [1] he asked, uncertain.

She looked to Kamal, he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, as soon as I can Beta." [2] she lied. 

He gripped her hand tighter.

"Is the lady I'm going to stay with nice Mai?

"Yes she's nice Terri" she quickly assured, the train was coming...and with it ...freedom.

"You promise Mai?" 

"YES!" she snapped, yanking her hand from his. The train was so close now.

Tears welled up in his eyes but he did not cry. The train pulled in, screeching and puffing smoke. Kamal escorted her on and showed her to the seat and she took one last look through the thick window. He was struggling to keep a happy face as he waved goodbye, for what he did not know would be the last time. As the train pulled away from the station she leaned into Kamal and sobbed.

Thank you gentle Allah.

 

A.C. 188- Terri

Please don't go Mai. He wanted to cry but he had to be brave. He was a big boy, the man of the house she called him. He would not cry like a little kid. Nuh uh! But as the train pulled away his eyes misted over. She promised to come back, it's not like she wouldn't... right? Of course she will, she loves me. She promised that she would come back and get him and they would live happily ever after with her family. she would talk about them ever so often with a longing in her eyes. She would always yell at him after...yell for no reason about grown up things that he didn't understand.

Just then someone put their hand on his shoulder and he looked up. A dark man led him out of the station to a waiting car.

"Come on boy" he said harshly, pulling him roughly.

He took him to a shabby apartment where an old woman who smelled like stale tuna fish lived. The place was old and dirty and so was she. She sneered at him with rotten, cavity filled teeth. He cringed away and she scowled.

"Welcome to your new home son" she cackled, grasping at his cheek with gnarled fingers that looked like twisted tree branches.

He hated it there. She made him work so much, and when he got tired or hungry she would call him lazy and beat him. He refused to cry in front of her and that made her even more cruel. She would laugh and tell him how his mother had forgotten him and would never come back.

"That's not true...you're lying!" he would scream, then run away sobbing. 

He could hear her cackle all through the place. She always knew just how to hurt him. Why haven't you come yet Mai? he would ask the walls of the little room he shared with the washing basin. But they would never answer. 

Two years later he stopped asking, stopped hoping, stopped crying himself to sleep, stopped trying to reason her delay. There was no plane crash or any other horrible earth stopping disaster that could have kept her away. But she had promised, hadn't she? He couldn't remember anymore. There was only one thing left to do. He had to find her...yes, that was what he had to do.

Finding the address was a stroke of pure luck. The old bag had passed out, like she always did each night, but instead of helping her to bed as usual, he searched through her papers. And there...plain for the eye to see was a cheque. A cheque that was supposed to pay for his up keep but never did. On this 'Holy Grail' was an address. His home...his real home. He touched the parchment carefully, as if it would crumbled to pieces before him. He folded it and placed it in his shirt pocket, close to his heart. The old witch did not deserve the money. Even though he could not cash it himself, he would not leave it for her. He took her secret stash of money that she did not know he knew about and packed it away with his other meager belongings. He went into the kitchen and made a few sandwiches. He hummed as he cut the meat and cheese that were her favourites, munching on the scraps as he worked.

He then set out. A new fire of hope in his heart. He was finally going home.

 

With a flick of his head he turned away from the window. The past is gone, he thought nonchalantly, it never comes back. he unpacked his belongings carefully and studied his class schedule. Experimental Technology was indeed a very hard class to get into. He had used almost every hacking skill he knew to get himself into that class. Imagine...Romerfeller using geniuses to build their weapons...and nobody is saying a damned thing.

His eye fell on metal glinting in the light. It was a stiletto blade, given to him as a gift. It was the only thing he held dear, or what you might call a reasonable facsimile to 'dear'. It was dark silver with a blue glint. It had been compared to him by the giver. 

Cold...Lethal...it suited him well.

He placed it in the nightstand, between his clothes. Concealed yet close...like him.

 

*****

 

"Good Morning class, this morning we welcome a new student to our hallowed halls. Eveyone...this is Ivory Sr. Claire. Welcome to Additional Mathematics Ivory. Why don't you take the free seat near the back." the teacher chimed in a sing song voice.

The entire class gave the new student the once over. Tall, blonde and cold. He nodded curtly and took his seat next to a boy with violet eyes and a long braid. The boy reached over, extending his hand in greeting.

"Hey there,I'm Duo...nice to mee'cha" he said laughingly. 

The laugh faded as the blonde stared straight ahead, ignoring him completely. Duo shrugged. Whatever...and I thought Heero was bad...Jeez! The teacher announced a surprise pop quiz and Duo groaned. Ivory looked at the paper. It was child's play. Ad math was always easier than Maths in general. He was about to start when a late arrival burst into the class.

"Gomen nasai Otousan" the gentle voice gasped, out of breath. Ivory looked up in shock. No...it can't be! Same blonde hair, same blue eyes, same open friendly smile from so long ago. He closed his eyes, wanting this to be a dream...but it was real. He was all too real.

 

A.C. 190- Terri  
Alexandria, Egypt  
North Africa

He opened the cheque once more. This is it! the place on the cheque! He stooped behind some bushes so the he could stare unseen. The house was even more beautiful than he had imagined. It was huge and white with a green lawn and a high white washed iron wrought fence. Neatly trimmed hedges decorated the yard...not yard...the art. It was so pretty. He could picture his mother living like a princess. he could imagine playing hide a seek with other children in the massive garden. Then at night his mother would tuck him in and tell him stories in bed. He couldn't wait. He started to straighten up when he heard voices, men's voices. afraid that they would catch him trespassing he crouched low and listened.

"How will we know the boy Akmed?...we don't have a description" one man said.

"The boss said that he wears a purple jacket, like the one your son wanted for his birthday" the other replied.

"Really...I wonder if he'll mind me taking it then".They both laughed.

"Nah! Them Winners have got more money that grains of sand in the desert...and when they pay the ten million to get the boy back...the last thing they'll think about is a jacket Hamid" Akmed smirked.

"Yeah...let's grab him and go already. Where is he anyway?"

"He walks home from school everyday...by himself! Just to grab him and go. Simple!"

Terri listened in horror. Winner? That's the name on the cheque. The person they were going to kidnap was his family. They can't. He bit his lip and thought fast. He scrambled away quickly and shot off in the opposite direction. As he rounded the block he spotted him, just as they had described him...wearing the purple jacket. The boy was short and blonde, not tall and dark like his Mai. Just then an idea popped into his head. Terri took a deep breath and ran up to the boy.

The boy cried out as Terri pushed him down from behind. They wrestled but he succeeded in getting the jacket . Like a bullet he was off, turning only briefly to see the boy struggling to get up. He only had time to put on the jacket when he was grabbed roughly. He struggled against the hands but they were too strong. A white cloth came over his mouth that smelled like medicine. Then he blacked out.

 

A.C.190- Yasmine  
Winner Residence  
Alexandria, Egypt

The house was in disarray. She and Kamal were visiting her father when Quatre was brought in, shaken and a little bruised. Another boy had mugged him and had taken his jacket. She couldn't believe children these days. She loved Quatre...as any sister should love her brother but she was not particularly fond of him. He had been born the year that she had eloped. Everytime she looked at him ... at his blue eyes she was reminded of the blue eyes she had last seen in the train station in Pune. She could never forget them, how they burned her with their love and innocence. Innocence she had sacrificed so long ago for the love of a man.

She watched as Quatre was herded away by a fussy nurse, bitterness lingering in her mouth.She shook her head, she was home now. She had Kamal who loved her and who she was fond of...and she was pregnant. This time it was no mistake.

Later that day she was called into the main living room. the Winners had recieved a call from kidnappers stating that they had Quatre and that if her father did not pay Ten million dollars by midday the next day, they would never see Quatre again. She gasped.

"But I thought Quatre was upstairs?" she was confused.

Kamal chuckled, "He is."

"Then who...?" she started. Kamal held out a printout.

"They sent us this picture as proof."

She looked at the boy in the picture and her heart skipped a beat. Terri? Oh God! she thought.

Kamal asked if she was okay and she quickly assured him that she was. They can never know, she vowed desperately. She looked again at the frightened boy in the picture and asked:

"What are we going to do?"

Kamal laughed outright. "Nothing of course...it's just another prank to get money out of your father."

She put the picture down and walked slowly away, her betrayal choking her.

Allah have mercy on me...I have sentenced my child to death.

 

Terri  
Free Port Harbour  
Alexandria.

He huddled against the cold, the binds on his hands and feet cutting into his soft skin. He bit his trembling lip in oder to keep from crying. Never let them see you cry, he reminded himself over and over. But it was getting colder and harder for him to be strong. Aren't they coming? Didn't Mai love him? Why didn't she come? He was so scared. Suddenly the old wooden door slammed open and three men stormed in. 

"What do you mean you snatched the wrong kid? Didn't I describe him to you nunbskulls?" the fat one demanded.

"He was like you described Boss...purple jacket and all"

"Well...I called the Winners and you know what they did?...huh?. They laughed at me...at ME!!...the Big Red...nobody laughs at me. You hear me?...NO ONE!

He grabbed Terri roughly and began shaking him.

"Who are you? You little punk...you hear me boy? Who are you?

Terri's teeth rattled so much from the shaking that he couldn't even speak. Not that the big man was really interested in the answer. The man threw him back against the wall and he slid down, whimpering. The men left, leaving him alone and in pain.He could still hear shouting but he was too hurt to care. 

His back, ribs and arms hurt so n=much that he couldn't stop a tear from escaping his tightly squeezed lids. He buried his face in the dirty mattress on which he lay, not wanting them to come back and see his tears. Never let them see you cry... Mai, where are you?, He sobbed noiselessly into the worn and ragged foam. 

He sniffed and sat up, wondering what they were going to do with him. He didn't have to wait very long. Hamid came in and hauled him out of the shabby house out onto a deserted pier where Akmed and Big Red stood waiting. He pushed him toward the end of the rotting wood structure and made him stand straight.

"It'll be all over soon boy" he whispered with a pat on the shoulder.

He turned away and walked back to stand with the others. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the glint of metal and his heart jumped. Big Red had a gun! He trembled and squeezed his eyes shut. He heard the click but still refused to cry out. 

They're not coming...they don't love me, he realized, his heart breaking...nobody loves me.

There was a loud bang and a pain in his head. Then all went blank.

 

Ivory blinked and quickly looked away. He had been staring. He chanced another glance at the boy, now sixteen. Quatre had taken the seat near to the front and was now concentrating on his quiz paper. After breezing through the questions he took his time to study the boy. The only difference was his age, he was the same Quatre all over. Ivory cursed the fates for bringing them together like this. He Hadn't cared...none of them had cared. They had broken a sacred promise...they had left him. He would never forgive them for that.

*****

That lunch hour Quatre made his way to where his fellow pilots sat. Duo was harassing Heero while Trowa and Wufei were poking at what could be assumed was macaroni in Special sauce. He smiled in greeting and sat next to Trowa. He listened to Duo as he ate, Smiling at his silly antics. Just then Duo got serious. he motioned with his head for them to look.

"Hey guys...there he is...Ivory St. Claire...the one I was telling you about Hee-chan."

"Don't call me that !" Heero gritted out through clenched teeth, his eyes on the blonde crossing the cafeteria.

Ivory sat at a table alone and began to eat.

"He's in our AdMath class and boy!...he could make Siberia look like a tropical paradise."

"Worse than Yuy?" Wufei asked incredulously. Heero shot him a glare which he ignored.

"That's not all...you should have seen how he was ogling Quatre earlier" Duo added.

"What?" That caught Trowa's attention.

Duo and Quatre smiled, Heero raised an eyebrow and Wufei coughed. Trowa's affection for the Sandrock's pilot was no secret.

"He was?" Quatre asked, looking at Ivory. "Well...there is something familiar about him."

It was now everyone's turn to say "What?"

Without warning Quatre stood and made his way to where Ivory sat before anyone could speak. He stood at the end of the table and cleared his throat softly. The boy looked up and Quatre was lost in the intense and chilling gaze. His voice stuck in his throat and he stood fidgeting.

"Um...I...uh...well" he stammered, embarrassed. The boy sat back and crossed his arms, obviously annoyed.

"My name is Quatre and I was wondering that since you were new here if you'd like to come over and sit with me and my friends for lunch I mean there's space enough for you to come and sit and maybe we can be you friends." he blurted out, glad that it was over.

"No" came the reply, flat and final. Quatre was taken aback.

"Okay" he mumbled, deflated, and turned away.

Ivory watched him as he left, his eyes narrowing. It's too late...too late to be my friend. He rose, his appetite suddenly gone. Well, I might as well check out the ExTech lab while I have some free time. It was on the other side of the campus so he had to sprint, his long legs eating up the considerable distance quickly. Within two minutes he was at the doors of the Science building. 

The mammoth building was brown brick with ivy growing thick on the walls. He slipped in unnoticed and crept down the main hall, keeping mainly to the tell tale shadows of of the afternoon sun. He heard voices and quickly ducked into the nearest door. It was the chemical storage room. Strange that it's unlocked, he pondered. Suddenly the doorknob turned so he hid behind one of the counters. A young arrogant voice punctured the silence.

"I'm telling you...the digitzation of the crystallized Densitron molecules in a hyper thermic state would surely exite them enough to create a field powerful enough to cut right through gundanium like a hot knife through butter."

The other entrant grunted and the shuffling of paper could be heard.

"Let's go. A low voice ordered from the doorway.

Ivory heard a loud click and knew that the door had been locked from the outside. No problem, no one would suspect an illegal search from inside a locked room. He sat at the terminal and began to type swiftly. As the CPU buzzed he thought about Quatre. It's been so long...since we last saw each other.

A.C. 190- Yasmine  
Winner Residence  
Alexandria.

She pulled at the hand break and checked her reflection in the rear view mirror of the jaguar that her husband had given her for her birthday the year before. Satisfied, she stepped out onto the stone driveway. The family was gathering today for her father's birthday. Tomorrow they would leave for the colony that would be their new permanent residence. A servant came to take her luggage and she followed him inside. 

Everyone was gathered in her father's favourite room, the master den. She looked to Kamal, who had arrived before her, he was dark with fury. She looked to her father, whose face was totally expressionless. Each of the family members wore masks of emotion, shock, shame, horror and yes...even pity.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. They were like statues. She panicked.

"I demand to know what's wrong...father?" her eyes pleading as she looked to him, he looked away.

"Mai?" a voice shattered her world with that one word.

Family members parted to reveal a pair of blue eyes...those eyes. NONONONONONONONO! she screamed silently. Oh God no! They'll haunt me forever. Her head swam and her heart lurched. Her new and bright future crumbled before her very eyes. 

Her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

 

A.C. 190- Terri

He sat in a nearby chair fingering the bandage on the left side of his head. The doctor told him that he was a very lucky boy. Good thing Big Red was such a bad shot. Half a centimetre to the left and he would be dead now. But...he did not feel lucky. He knew from the look on his mother's face that she did not want him there. The others were mortified that she had even had an 'illegitimate child, as they called him, but he knew that that was just a fancy word for bastard. 

The only person who had welcomed him was Mr. Winner. When he had found out who Terri was he had gathered him into his huge arms and hugged him tight. He had never been hugged like that before, even by his mother. He loved it. He looked at all of them talking in murmurs and whispers.This was not the family he expected. The balloon of his fantasy was losing air...fast. A strong hand ruffled his hair gently. He looked up...it was Mr. Winner.

"Come, let's get you to bed...it's very late and you must be very tired."

Terri nodded and smiled at the warm man. His first real smile in a long time. A plump, smiling nurse led him up to a room that looked like it had been cut right out of a fancy magazine. It was so beautiful. With tender hands she dressed him for bed, made him brush his teeth and tucked him in. He was so overwhelmed by her kindness that before she left he gave her a great big hug. She laughed and hugged him back.

After she had tucked him in once more he lay under the plush comforter, staring up at the ceiling. Is this it? he asked the strutting elephants on the wall...is this the family I've been searching for so long. I hope so. I've wanted this so much...someone to take care of me, to love me. Maybe Mai will love me too. Please God ...let Mai love me too...and thank you for bringing me here. I just want to be happy.

The door opened and he looked up. A blonde head peeped through...Quatre.

"You awake?" he asked.

"No" Terri replied.

Quatre crept in and sat at the edge of the bed. Terri smiled and Quatre climbed further onto the thick comforter. In hushed voices they talked, about nothing...about everything.

"Thanks" Quatre gushed,hugging him.

"For what?" Terri wondered aloud.

"For saving me Terri!" he answered, "I was pretty mad at you for knocking me down and taking my jacket like that but you were only trying to save me"

"It wasn't nothin" Terri blushed and Quatre giggled, his eyes sparkling.

"I know!" he exclaimed. Terri shushed him and they both fell into a fit of giggles. It was so late.

"...Let's make a pact." he finished, cracking up again from the look on Terri's face.

"What kind?" Quatre extended his pinky finger and hooked Terri's.

"OKAY...repeat after me...we'll always be be there for each other...no matter what...Friends Forever!"

Terri repeated the words and they bobbed their intertwined fingers three times to make it official. They both smiled at each other, the best of friends. Quatre hopped off the bed and made for the door.

"See you tomorrow friend." he said before slipping away.

"See you tomorrow...friend." Terri replied softly.

He lay down to sleep and for the first time in a long time he was happy.

 

The terminal beeped, the search complete. He removed the disk and let himself out of the window. He had no trouble exiting and dashed off to his first afternoon class. He had gotten what he wanted ... for now.

 

Notes:

[1] Mai - hindi for Mother  
[2] Beta- hindi for Son

 

Well that was Cold Flame part 1. hope you like :)


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two

Standard disclaimers apply 

Same warning as Part One

Finally got this page up and going! Yippee!

Enjoy!

No unauthorized posting allowed. 

 

 

Every now and again he would pass Quatre in the halls, either talking to his friends or with his nose in a book. He would observe them, the five of them. The short japanese boy was dangerous, he would remember to stay clear of him. He was very suspicious, not like a normal school boy...even for here. 

The american played the idiot, distracting one's concentration with jokes and antics. He was also one to be careful of. That smile was practiced, too perfect to be real. this one would be unpredictable under pressure. The tall one was very well masked but still easy to read. Childhood trauma had forced him to retreat into himself, to put on a mask that one one could crack. It didn't do much good. 

Anyone could see that he cared deeply for Quatre by the subtle changes in his speech, movements and even mood when the boy was near or the subject of conversation. The chinese was truly predictable to the point of being absurd. He was obsessed with justice and its pursuit...that was his weakness. 

he had seen how any threat to his honour or dignity would trigger him into action unfailingly. He could easily be manipulated to do one's wishes with a few well placed words. He would have to keep an eye on them...do some background checks.

He lay contemplating these things in the darkness of his room.Tomorrow he would get a chance to walk the ExTech Lab freely. He had to get the info on the newest weapon in development and destroy the hard drive. It was a simple enough job...for his usual fee. He never met with his clients, too dangerous. Always kept in touch via computer. It was more convenient and harder to trace. 

Why did he have to show up when I'm on assignment? he asked the walls, a childhood habit he could never get rid of. Why does he bother me so? I'm not supposed to feel this way. Terri Vega died the day he broke his promise.

A.C. 190- Yasmine  
In a shuttle...on the way to the colonies

She accepted the scotch and soda presented to her and swallowed it swiftly. She was a wreck. They were all furious with her, her father disappointed that she had not come to him when she had given birth.the look that he gave her now made her want to cry. She sniffed pitifully and looked into the bottom of her empty glass.

What had been decided after that was even more depressing. An interested few, namely her mother in law, her husband and some other relatives concerned with the family image had decided to take matters into their own hands.. This could never get out. They would be shamed by such scandal. They would take the boy away, get him out of sight. It was the only way. They would keep the boy on Earth overnight and arrange a little accident.

They could never tell. Mr. Winner would never allow it but the family was at stake. He would be kept in the dark for his own good. They had done an award winning job convincing her father that the boy needed his rest and would be on the next flight out. She closed her eyes. Oh Allah, I am damned to the pits of hell, she admitted, yet again I send my first born to die.

 

A.C. 190- Terri  
Winner Residence  
Alexarndria

He carefully packed his possessions into his small backpack, making sure not to take anything that he did not come with. He didn't want their things...he wanted a family. But they didn't want him. They had gone to space and left him. He had awakened to find them already gone. they said that it was because he needed his rest and that he would be going to meet them on the next flight but he did not believe them.They had talked that same way in the train station the abandoned him. How could you do this Quatre? I thought you were my friend. How could you leave me Grandfather? Was last night just pretend, the pact we made? I was so stupid to think...to hope that I had come home...but this is not my home.I have no home. Why?...cause nobody loves me that's why. I'm just a burden...better off dead.

He trudged down to the kitchen, hungry. The cook made him a delicious sandwich made with all sorts of fixings, his favourite. He savoured each bite, not knowing when he would eat like this again. He thanked the cook who, in secret, slipped two more into his backpack with a little money. The man winked knowingly, sympathy in his brown eyes. Terri hugged him tight, on the verge of tears. Then he ran out the back and down the block. He turned back only once, just to see it one last time. The dream of a house that was almost a home, of people that were almost family.

 

**************

 

"Welcome class to Experimental Technologies. We have two new students today...Mr. Valentino Scarboni from L4 and Mr. Ivory St. Claire from the Transvaal in South Africa.Let us welcome them to ur team."

The professor frowned at the poor response. Geniuses always left something to be desired in the courtesy department. The upper class looking Scarboni, probably from some filthy rich Mafia clan who bribed someone up high for him to get in, sneered at every one and took a front seat. St. Claire looked around for a while; taking in his surroundings with those cold calculating eyes that gave him a serious case of the heebie-jeebies, before choosing the seat next to Heero Yuy. Another cold one, he thought as he sighed and cleared the white board.

The class was uneventful by normal standards but for Heero and Ivory it was a perfect opportunity for recon. With sharp eyes and minds they scrutinized each other, like two panthers, circling. When he was not sizing Heero up, Ivory was staking out the main lab. By the time class was over he had already psycho-analyzed the japanese boy. Heero was not the ordinary boy genius. His manner was that of a soldier, so trained to perfection that it was absurd in its flawlessness. 

He would have to check him out some more. His initial searches were too limited and too clean...almost squeaky. His training was physical as well as psychological. the minute scars on his face, neck and fore arms which were not covered by the school uniform, were easily spotted by the trained eye. He's almost all muscle. His face was controlled perfectly, a stone carving. His personality had been smothered to the point of submission. He was not alive...he merely existed ...to fight.

Kinda like me in some ways, he thought, like the phoenix...rising stronger and changed out of the ashes of its own destruction.

 

A.C 190- Terri  
The streets of Cairo, Egypt.  
Terri stared at the snake charmer with childlike wonder. It was an ancient profession: there were only a few of them left in the desert country. He had stopped off in Cairo on his way up the Nile through Beni Suef then onto El Minya before stopping for a while in Asyut. These river towns were so unlike the streets of Pune and the grand city of Bombay where his Mai had sometimes taken him. 

One time they had gone south to the coastal town of Goa, where men caught and laid out their fish to be sold.His Mai had hated the scent but he loved it, the scent of a people. They would call him ' barfi ' which was a white fudge like candy eaten at festivals. He liked the name and would smile at those who hailed him out when he went about his errands.

The desert dunes were vast and majestic and just as beautiful as the over crowded, noisy streets of his beloved India. The people were close knit and friendly...well, not all. Terri turned the corner, whistling a merry tune when he bumped into three hundred pounds of human blubber. He stammered his apology but his voice died as he looked into the big man's face. Big Red!

"You!" the man exclaimed, grabbing him by the collar before he could flee.

Terri was dragged into a nearby doorway and thrown unto a dingy threadbare rug. The huge man towered over him like a giant.

"I thought I killed you" he said, "you could finger me to the police...can't let that happen can we? Guess I'll have to kill you again...and do it right this time." 

He pulled a long knife out of his robe, his eyes alight with bloodlust. Terri scooted back crabstyle until he reached the low window. Without looking , he lunged out and rolled as he hit the ground, jumping up to run away as fast as he could. He heard a shout behind him but did not stop. He leaped unto the bed of a nearby truck and hid under the tarpaulin. Soon the truck rumbled to life and they were off, away from Big Red and the streets of Cairo.

after a while he dozed off in the tiring heat. He dreamt of dancing snakes with long knives for fangs and he was the charmer who had to play in order to live. He awoke to the sound of jet plane engines. What? How did I sleep through all this? Suddenly the tarp was pulled away. Oh oh I'm in trouble now, he thought as the grey eyed man favoured him with a harsh glare.

"Looks like we have ourselves a stowaway" he growled , dragging Terri out of the truck.

Terri gulped, scared as hell. It was one thing to run away when you're on the ground...it was another doing it when you're thousands of feet in the air. The man shook him.

"What's your name boy?" he asked.

"Got no name." Terri replied, putting on his best 'Brave Timmy' face like he had seen once in an old cartoon.

The man chuckled and let him go.

"You got balls boy , I must say. the name's Pieter Luhr...remember it well."

That was the beginning of it all. His training...his time with Pieter...the death of Terri Vega. For the next five years he trained with Pieter to be a mercenary on a small compound just along the Lympopo river in the Transvaal in South Africa. His days consisting of rigorous training in various fields of expertise, his night's filled with 'special training' 

His special training had begun when he was age twelve. He had been cleaning the pool cues in the game room when without warning, Pieter grabbed him roughly from behind and raped him viciously, to the point of bleeding. Terri struggled against him, screaming until he was hoarse, tears flowing freely from his eyes. The pain was intense but the betrayal was unbearable. As Pieter pounded him, his heart froze over from the trauma...his last shred of childhood innocence shattering like glass. Never let them see you cry, a voice told him. He stopped struggling and lay limp as he was ravaged.

He just stared at the white billiard ball in front of him as his cheek lay pressed against the table. It was carved of solid ivory,from the massive tusk of an elephant. It was very valuable, being that elephants were now highly endangered. How white it looks, he pondered, even though it's been knocked around so much. It was then that the last of Terri Vega faded away and was replaced by Ivory St. Claire. Ivory for the loss of innocence- an elephant had to die for this one ball, Claire was for the ice which was now his heart and the St....that one was for the utter irony. A sinner in saint's clothing as it were.

Afterwards Pieter explained that it was part of the training because it could have been used as a weapon against him. It had been necessary to surprise him.That was part of the lesson, he would have to embrace his weaknesses and master them if he wanted to stay alive. Ivory calmly agreed and informed him of the new name . 

He was a quick learner in special training. he would be given tests to seduce someone of Pieter"s choosing. Sometimes a beautiful high society woman, sometimes a greasy drug dealer. He learned all of these things well...as he learned everything Pieter had to teach. By the time he was fifteen he was ready. On his fifteenth birthday Pieter gave him a beautiful stiletto called the Cold Flame because of the burning cold emitted naturally by the dark metal of the blade.

""You are alike...this blade and you" he said, pulling Ivory into his arms for a deep kiss.

They had become lovers over the years.

"Cold as ice...but burning within. Not so my beautiful one?"

Ivory nodded as he was led into the bedroom. That was the last night they spent together.

 

It was simple enough really...tracing them, learning about them. It was so easy he wondered why Oz hadn't found them as yet. Gundam pilots...hmmm...interesting. Little Quatre...a gundam pilot? this is turning out to be a very enlightening assignment. Using the library computer made tracing him extremely difficult. If they only knew what the students were doing with school property, he mused. He pushed away from the desk and stood at the window overlooking the quad. he raised an eyebrow...said pilots were currently sitting under a huge tree whose branches provided enough shade for the five teens. 

With his lip reading prowess, honed by years of practice, he quickly determined what they were speaking about. The topic was, unsurprisingly ...him. I'm flattered. The Yuy boy had done some research but had come up with noting. As intended. They would keep an eye on him. Quatre spoke next. There was something about Ivory that he just couldn't place. His Soul of Outer Space felt it. Soul of outer space?

 

He turned away as Duo changed the subject with a well spoken phrase, making everyone smile. He made his way back to the dorm. Time was fleeting. He had to get that info tonight. he packed his things carefully, as he always did, making sure nothing of his presence was left. Tomorrow he would transfer...claiming mental anguish from being over worked. It was most convenient as it happened frequently among students. It was now seven o'clock. He would go in at nine when the guard made his final round before returning at eleven. Two hours was more than enough to et the job done. All he had to do now was wait.

 

A.C 195- Yasmine  
Camaguey Airport, Bahamas  
Ladies bathroom near gate twelve  
Six Months ago

Yasmine popped another Proline and hastily drank the water from the sink. Her reflection stared back at her from the dirty mirror, haggard from the heavy emotional baggage she constantly carried. She was a damned woman. Three times she had tried to have a child with Kamal and thrice she miscarried. It was her punishment for killing her first born. She could not even say his name without bursting into tearful prayer. Kamal had put her in a home for a while; she had been ranting about hell and the slaying of the innocent after her latest miscarriage. When her father died it only got worse. 

Her life was a living hell. She knew that Kamal was having an affair...he no longer lived her as he did. Well...she was no longer the girl he loved so much. She was just a shell now, hollow and brittle.

"I am damned" she sobbed, bowing her head .

"Yes...You are" a voice hissed behind her. She gasped and turned.

It was an Angel of Hell with the face of her first born. She tried to scream but he held a knife to her throat. 

"No...you are dead!" she exclaimed.

"Yes" he taunted, "...you killed me yourself"

Nononononononononono, she sobbed, still in stubborn denial. He tilted her chin up so that they were face to face.

"Take a good look!" he commanded.

She did. Those eyes...those cursed eyes...they have come to take me to hell...oh Allah...accept your prodigal daughter.

She slumped in his hold, her illness and the shock too much for her weak heart. He let the body drop and stepped away.

"Goodbye forever Mai..."he said quietly "...see you in hell"

With those words he walked away.

 

A.C.195  
C.Reigna  
North Island, New Zealand  
Four months ago.

Pieter rubbed his hands together in the cold New Zealand wind. I'm freezing my nuts off her. Where's the assignment? We've been waiting here for over two hours. He turned to ivory who was leaning against the truck, he seemed unaffected by the chill. Well...if he is...I can't see it. Ivory was his best student...his only student. He had seen that special something in his eyes that day on the plane. Those blue bottomless orbs that trapped you in their intense gaze.

He had come to love those eyes. He had never been in love before...never even loved his parents. those rejects. But Ivory was his...and would be forever. His little cold flame that burned only for him. He could see that fire burning whenever he took him in bed.Bruising his beautiful body with rough fucking. be it love or lust the boy felt...he didn't care.

He turned back toward the churning Pacific. It was a restless sea today, pregnant with unease. Ivory came to stand behind him... Pieter could feel his presence.

"When's the assignment coming?" he asked over his shoulder.

There was a pause. then a sudden jerk and an immence pain in his back. He fell to his knees, looking up in disbelief at Ivory. the knife that he had given to him as a present just two days ago was buried almost to the hilt in his back, severing his spinal cord.

"What?" he gasped, falling to the ground.

Ivory twisted the knife so that wound wouldn't close, then pulled it out. Pieter lay gasping in agony as the blonde wiped the blade clean on his jacket. 

"There was never any assignment" he confessed " I made it up to get you out here, It seemed like the perfect place...beautiful... serene...deserted. You can finally take that vacation you always wanted."

His voice was monotone but the fire ...the cold flame burned in his eyes. Pieter realized that it was never love or lust he felt when they had sex...but cool hatred.

"I...I...love you" he wheezed. The boy laughed...a chilling sound that froze Pieter's very soul.

"Love me?...you claimed me...I was your toy...your little plaything you could rape and torture all in the name of training. Were you ever going to let me go? no! I don't need you anymore Mr. Luhr, my life and my skills are mine now. Though...it does distress me to see you this way... you see, you are the only person i could somewhat consider family...but there's no other way to end our relationship."

With his foot he rolled the dying man into the water but before pushing him all the way he added:

"Oh yes...before I forget...I'll remember your name Pieter Luhr...believe me ...I'll never forget it."

Pieter gasped, choking on the salty water. With distorted vision he saw Ivory watching him die...those cold eye unfeeling. They were the last thing he saw.

 

9:24pm  
Ex Tech Lab.

Download 64% complete...charges set...good to go. the computer buzzed, burning the data onto the small silver disk. 78%...85%... 96%...download complete. He smirked in the darkness...now for the fireworks. He slipped quietly out the forth floor widow and easily scaled down the brown brick wall. The building was old it's security poor something that housed such valuable data...well...that used to house such valuable data. The C4 he had planted was just enough to transform the old stricture into an instant parking lot. Now the professors won't have to park off campus. He smiled at that.

As he sprinted across the grass something caught his eye. A small figure was at the Lab's side entrance. A petite form clothed in black. Ivory ducked behind some nearby trimmed hedges. Short ...slim...blonde...sneaking into a supposedly secure building unseen...a building with valuable war data...oh God ...Quatre!

His eyes widened as Quatre slipped into the building just before the guard came into view . His mind raced, the C4! He sprang into action, snapping the unfortunate guard's neck in his haste to enter the building. Where are you Quatre? he wondered frantically.

As luck would have it, Quatre was on the third floor, hacking into the lab's mainframe. They had been planning this mission for some time...both he and Heero. But Heero had been called away urgently only two hours ago so Quatre had to complete the mission himself. He had just placed the disk in when the door burst open and he was tackled headfirst by a very determined Ivory. The impact of the blow sent them both trough the huge window and out into the night. They landed with a dull thump.

Quatre lay dazed and breathless, his body demanding rest but he got none. Strong hands grabbed his arms and hauled him along the grass. Just then the lab exploded, the shock wave sending them both flying. He landed roughly, a sharp pain coursing through his left arm... it was broken.. His head swam from his concussion. Dizzily he loked over to where Ivory was struggling to stand. Their eyes met and Quatre knew...he knew. His heart twisted and his world went blank.

Shards of light punctured the thick fog in flashes. Trowa calling his name...the swirling lights of the ambulance...the bright and frenzied atmosphere of the hospital emergency room...then blackness took over once more.

****************

Hokkaido General Hospital  
Japan  
6:15am

"Excuse me Nurse" Dr. Takasaki called out in the hallway.

The young man turned to look at him...his cold blue eyes gazing at the middle aged man through thin silver spectacles. The doctor studied the tall male nurse, the man was pale and painstakingly neat. His uniform was spotless and his blonde hair pulled in a tight bun. They keep getting younger and younger don't they, he shrugged.

"I need some assistance with a patient in ICU ward"

The nurse nodded. "I've almost finished my rounds doctor...I just have one more patient then I'll be right with you." 

The nurse turned away and the doctor watched him walk down the hall and disappear. He shook his head.

"They just keep getting younger and younger."

 

*****************

 

Quatre opened his eyes slowly, squinting at the sun shining through the curtains. He blinked, listening to the birds outside.

"Quatre" a soft voice called to him. He looked up and gasped.

"Terri?"

"I had to see if you were ok"

Quatre grasped his hand, it was cold against the warmth of his own.

"Am I dead?" he was uncertain. The boy shook his head, his eyes offered assurance.

Quatre began to cry softly. The boy stared at the sparkling droplets with a sense of wonder. He brushed them away, amazed at the moisture on his fingertips. Was Quatre afraid of dying? 

Quatre shook his head, he had understood the look in his eyes.

"I missed you so much" he sobbed, his grip tightening.

The boy pulled his hand away, his eyes cold once more.

"You missed me?...You were the one who left me all alone...you broke our pact!" he accused.

Quatre's eyes widened in disbelief.

"They they told us that you were dead...that your shuttle had crashed...if we had only known..." he stammered.

"What...what would you have done?" the tall boy sneered.

"We would have searched for you...father was beside himself when we heard" 

Quatre looked away in shame.

"I always believed that it was my fault...if I hadn't kept you up so late, you wouldn't have needed to rest...you would have come with us..you would still be alive...but you are alive Terri!"

"That's where you're wrong Quatre...Terri Vega died a long time ago...There is only Ivory now... you're too late to save him now...too late."

 

He tried to leave but the Sandrock pilot had once again taken hold of his hand and refused to let go.

"Thanks again"he said.

"What for?"

"For saving me...it's the second time you've knocked me out of harm's way.

"Well ..." Ivory replied flatly"...I made a promise...my word is my bond,"

Quatre smiled as the memories came flooding back

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
"You awake?" he asked.

"No" Terri replied.

Quatre crept in and sat at the edge of the bed. Terrei smiled and Quatre climbed further onto the thick comforter. In hushed voices they talked, about nothing...about everything.

"Thanks" Quatre gushed,hugging him.

"For what?" Terri wondered aloud.

"For saving me Terri!" he answered, "I was pretty mad at you for knocking me down and taking my jacket like that but you were only trying to save me"

"It wasn't nothin" Terri blushed and Quatre giggled, his eyes sparkling.

"I know!" he exclaimed. Terri shushed him and they both fell into a fit of giggles. It was so late.

"...Let's make a pact." he finished, cracking up again from the look on Terri's face.

"What kind?" Quatre extended his pinky finger and hooked Terri's.

"OKAY...repeat after me...we'll always be be there for each other...no matter what...Friends Forever!"

Terri repeated the words and they bobbed their intertwined fingers three times to make it official. They both smiled at each other, the best of friends. Quatre hopped off the bed and made for the door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He looked at Ivory with joy in his eyes.

"We can be together now...a family again." He exclaimed hopefully.

The pale blonde just looked at him, his face now expressionless. Slowly he shook his head.

"I'm sorry Quatre..." he confessed "...but it can never be as it was " 

He quickly injected a mild sedative into Quatre's IV, the boy's protests weakening and becoming more slurred. He watched as Quatre slipped out of consciousness then walked to the door. He stole one last glance at the sleeping boy who was his last chance at happiness. He smiled one last time, remembering Quatre's final words to him on that night.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"See you tomorrow friend." he said before slipping away.

"See you tomorrow...friend." Terri replied softly.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Good bye....Friend." He said solemnly.

Then...as quickly as he had come, he was gone.

 

...Finis...

Wild victory dance! happy happy joy joy! it's finally finished!

Notes? none really


	3. Chapter 3

BONUS LEVEL!!!!!

by Quicksylver

This is a 'Sequel by request' from one of the readers. It's the continuation of Cold Flame.  
I treid to come up with a good story line to bring Ivory back and this is what i fianlly decided on.  
This contains Death, shounen ai and other mild stuff. Explosive ending... (chuckle)

Enjoy!

 

A.C. 195  
Bordeaux  
Capital City  
Sanq Kingdom.

Relena yawned daintily, already bored at the latest ball that, as princess, she had to attend. Soft voices and the false laughter of the aristocratic echoed through the gold and cream ordained ballroom. From wall to expansive wall the creme de la creme of the world littered the dance floor, talking rubbish and glugging champagne. At least, that what it looked like to the princess. She flipped her wheat coloured tresses and devoted her shortening attention span to the way her designer pearl white ball gown swished as she swayed from side to side. Being princess did have its perks. Even when she was the Vice Foreign Minister's daughter she couldn't afford dresses like these. 

She sighed at the memory and swiped a crystal glass from a passing waiter. At least that old woman who accompanied her everywhere was not around. Relena grimaced as the hard face of Madam Lyons popped into her sight. Time to make a strategic withdrawal, she thought, ducking out the nearby doors out into the stone veranda. The air was warm, the summer's in the Sanq kingdom where always warm and seemed to be heavy with the wine that her kingdom was acclaimed for. The moon was hidden behind some clouds leaving the dim golden lamps hung along the veranda to drape the area with a rich golden hue. 

Relena took a swig of her drink, gasping as the liquor burned down her throat. Her eyes teared up as she struck her chest lightly. A soft chuckle caught her attention. She swung around, now alert. Someone was out here with her. She looked around, scanning the shadowed corners of the veranda. She could see nothing; the shadows were too thick.

"Who's there?" she demanded, putting all of her brass and command into her words.

There was no answer. She rested the glass on the wide railing and stood tall, her back ramrod straight. 

"I demand that you reveal yourself to me this instant!" she almost shouted. 

There was a rustle and the telltale clink of a genuine crystal glass. Relena braced herself, ready to either scream her head off or make a run for it. Out of the velvet cloak off shadow came a pale hand holding a half-filled glass of white wine, which glittered almost gaudily, in the golden light from inside the ballroom. She held her breath. A well-built frame, accented by an exquisitely tailored black suit followed the hand. Pale blonde hair hung straight and well groomed over the broad shoulders. Relena's eyes traveled up the torso slowly, her eyes caressing openly the intruder. 

Her face tingled as she finally reached the face. He was beautiful, a pale Apollo with a tiny extremely sexy smile. His eyes were orbs of blue frost, clear and endless in their depths. Like the Arctic skies, she sighed to herself as he walked closer.Soon he was close enough to touch, only then did she realize that she was staring and blushed crimson, bowing her head in humiliation. He tilted her head gently so that her eyes met his and she was instantly trapped in the frosty blue rip tide. He was so close now, almost a breath away. 

"Mamselle..." he breathed lightly. Relena held her breath. "I feel... that if I should do as you ask, and 'reveal' myself to one of such delicate stature as you..." he leaned in just a bit closer. Her heartbeat was now past triple time, it was in sudden death, and any minute now she would explode.He continued at a whisper " ... I would not be much of a gentleman." 

Her heart stopped, he was close enough to kiss. Blood rushed through her head as he suddenly pulled away. She blinked in disappointment at the sudden gap between them. The heat of his body was no longer near and a chill air caused her to shiver. With a sultry smile he shed his jacket and placed it on her bare shoulders. She blushed again as he cordially took her hand in his and kissed it. It was not the first time that she had received this courtesy but those times were nothing compared to the feel of his lips as they caressed her knuckles.

" I am pleased to meet you" She finally found her voice to say, " and you are...?" 

The now welcome intruder bowed low. "My name, my exquisite mamselle..." he said in a low husky voice that rang sweet in her ears like the bells of the cathedral, " is Ivory Dumont." 

 

************

 

L'hotel Chapeaux Bas  
(Hats off hotel)  
Southern Outskirts of Bordeaux  
Sanq kingdom

The small suite on the first floor was dark. The only light coming through the shabby curtains from the husky yellow street light. A slim figure slinked silently through the crowded suite, maneuvering around the old furniture that could have been called tacky once but now just stood there, the relics of some old attic perhaps. The figure slipped into the bedroom area, flicking on the small Apple 'I -Pad' [1] laptop that sat on a faded wooden writing desk. The garish blue-green of the machine gave the small bedroom a macabre look. The bed was neatly made, the room undisturbed. 

The only evidence that someone actually resided there was the hard black case that stood like a monolith in one corner of the room. The silent figure walked into the cramped bathroom as the small machine whirred to life. Quickly, the only occupant stripped down, stepping into the tiny douche [2]. Hot streams of water jetted out of the shower head, pounding into tense muscles with a relaxing consistency. As the rivulets ran down his sculpted frame, the bather sighed and let out a small chuckle. That had almost been too easy. He thought back earlier into the night. 

During their brief time together she had looked ready to faint, hanging on to his every word, every action. Like a starving dog. He had been unsure of mission success the day the assignment came, but the pay had been very good so he accepted. He had intended to just scope out his target, watching from the shadows. He would learn her way, how she spoke, how she moved across the dance floor with old aristocrat after another, bored to tears. He hadn't expected her to wander out unto the veranda, so close to where he was. 

Her antics had pulled a chuckle from him, he couldn't stop himself. She had already heard. He had cursed himself silently for being so careless. But it had all turned out to his advantage. She was apparently smitten with him so he decided to play along. They talked and danced for hours, or rather she talked while they danced. He feigned attentiveness as he eyed the crowd for reaction. Reaction came in the form of an old biddy who he had been introduced to as Madam Lyons. She was a hawk, soaking in their every move with large unblinking eyes. 

He would have to find some way to bypass her, if he ever wanted to get the job done. As they made another round around the immense ballroom floor a brilliant plan formulated in his mind. He smiled and she blushed, continuing to chatter away. He toweled his hair roughly as he strode into the bedroom naked. With the small hotel towel draped over his shoulder he sat at the laptop and logged on. The payment had already been transferred along with expenses and a bonus. 

This job was big, and he came highly recommended. He switched off the computer and dropped unto the old style bed, his body still damp from the shower. Tomorrow he would make preparations. He yawned, sleep claiming him. Yes, tomorrow he would plan the death of Relena Peacecraft.

 

***************

 

Chateaux de L'orages [3]  
Nantes City  
North west of Bordeaux  
Sanq kingdom

 

Relena sighed and leaned back into the easy chair in the large den. The large fire roared before as she watched the wooden logs snap and pop as they burned. She sipped tentatively at her hot chocolate. Visiting the Peacecraft Summer house had always been one of her secret pleasures. A luxurious getaway from the stress of ruling, the rigors of war. A warm hand rested on her shoulder and she looked up, a smile on her face. She couldn't believe how fast she had fallen in love. Ivory was everything she hoped for in a man. He was wise and strong, romantic and caring, not to mention drop dead gorgeous. 

He sat next to her and she moulded her body against his well-toned torso. He gently kissed her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. In the short time they had known each other she had found her soul mate. Orphaned at a young age, he had inherited a small winery in the rural district. Times had been tough but he had managed to scrape by, turning a small profit. She admired him for his strength, her own past a source of empathy. He had come to the capital to seek investors among the rich when they had met. His fluent French and excellent manners had bowled her over; as well as her mother and every one he met. 

When they kissed she tingled all over, never wanting it to end. Many times she had subtly offered herself to him and every time he had been a gentleman, preserving her innocence out of respect. It will be soon though, she thought to her self as she listened to his heartbeat through the soft knit of the sweater he wore. She snuggled against him, sighing. Any day now, she smiled, I'll get to show you how much I love you Ivory DuMont. 

 

*****************

 

Fatshan's Fast Food  
Chungking City  
China

Duo stretched like a cat. He was stuffed. He looked down at his empty bowl and yawned. Across the table Heero continued to eat, ignoring Duo's antics and the noise of the small restaurant. They had been staying with some colony sympathizers deep in the slums of Chunking for the past month. Duo and Wufei had both loved the noisy streets from the minute they piled off the shuttle, always filled with people and animals of all sizes. The rich smell of food and sweat that saturated everything. Even his lover's hair smelled Chinese. Said lover was now watching him eat intently. 

They came here often as the prices were low and there was an 'all you can eat' buffet which even Duo couldn't put a dent into. He looked up into sparkling dark indigo and blinked in mid chew. Duo laughed at the sight, his voice blending in with the shouts and laughs of the other patrons. The braided pilot turned away to watch two old men fighting over a Ma Jong game that was now in full swing. Heero watched him watching them. Everything was new for Duo, his childlike wonder never ceasing to amaze all. Who knew Shinigami could be so curious. He had to know everything, what was this... what was that. It all had to be explained, bought, studied, lavished and tucked away in that mind of his. 

He thought about the others, Wufei was in his element, dragging them all off time and time again to some god-forsaken part of the city or countryside during this recent slow period. Trowa seemed serene, after that incident at the school he stayed close to Quatre, a silent protector. Quatre welcomed the comfort. Ever since the explosion he seemed different somehow. More subdued than usual. He had explained what had happened before Trowa found him that night but Heero knew deep down that he had not told them everything. Something had happened that Quatre didn't want them to know.

He looked down at his noodles. Now was not the time. He trusted Quatre and could wait until the boy wanted to talk. Duo had resumed his staring, fascinated by the way the so-called Perfect Soldier slurped at the slippery pasta. Soon they were outside, wandering the streets leading to their safe house. Sometimes they would wander into small shops, trinket stores and other places that caught the eye. 

A small roadside newsstand selling English magazines caused Duo to suddenly jerk Heero in that direction. Heero sighed as hungry violet eyes scanned the wire stand, finally resting on a sleazy tabloid. Heero's eyes widened as he looked over a stunned Duo's shoulder. Quickly they bought the rag and bounded towards the safe house, hell hounds and a 'Sleaze International Exclusive' article at their heels. 

 

**************

 

La Lune Rose  
Rue Bourbon  
Bordeaux City  
Sanq kingdom.

Trent Xavier stumbled out of the brothel unto the cold damp street. His sandy blonde hair was damp and filthy as it stuck to his pale thin face and around tiny black eyes. His clothes were soiled and ratted as he struggled to stand upright. The low pulse of the music that blasted inside the building echoed across the stones through the now open doorway. He turned somewhat clumsily to show a middle finger to the large ugly bouncer that scowled darkly in the red neon light. As the heavy door closed finally, Trent made his way down the narrow alleyway, knocking down trashcans and tripping over old boxes. 

Suddenly he stopped. Standing before him was a pale boy, dressed in long dark cloak. His blonde hair hung loose around his face like silk curtains. He had the look of a young socialite. They were about the same age, both slim and lean, about the same height too. I could take him in a fight easy; Trent chuckled as the boy simply stared at him. Probably came here fer sum action, he thought to himself wickedly. Seems like an easy target. 

He pulled out his small switchblade and threatened the boy openly. The boy dodged the first thrust easily, grabbing the drunk's hand to pin it behind him in a painful twist. Trent gave a strangled cry as he felt the needle pierce the back of his neck, driving into the tender spinal cord. Ivory quickly withdrew the bloodied syringe and tossed it into one of the large rubbish piles that decorated the alley. 

Trent's body lay twisted on the wet stones, his face trapped in the grotesque expression with which he died. As Ivory maneuvered the car down the winding streets, He thought about his precious cargo. The pexadrin [4] he had taken from a local clinic was crude at best but it served his purpose well. Undetectable by modern tests, it impossible to determine the real cause of death. Just what he needed if he wanted his plan to go well.

 

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Tienshui House  
Chunking City  
China

Wufei squatted near the kitchen fire, playing marbles with little Han, the son of the woman they were currently staying with. The child laughed as the Shenlong pilot made the big blue orb knock two more out of the crude circle drawn on the ground. His concentration was rudely interrupted when Duo came bursting into the yard with Heero at his heels. He could only stare as they rushed past him into the main house where Quatre and Trowa were. 

With the promise of a later game, he excused himself and hurried in to see just what all the rush was for. Inside, a panting Duo was showing a wind blown magazine to a shocked Quatre. Wufei crossed his arms and tsked.

"All this hustle for a stupid tabloid. Duo... you are truly American." He groused

.Heero turned, his face serious."It's not the magazine but what's on the cover." He stated. 

Wufei's curiosity peaked. The cover? He maneuvered around Trowa nimbly in order to take a good look. What he saw stunned him. It was a picture of Relena Peacecraft at a recent ball. But what caught his eye was not her dress, or where she was but whom she was with in the picture. 

"But that's the boy from..." he began. 

"... the school." Trowa finished.

"Ivory St. Claire" Quatre breathed, turning away. 

No one noticed the blonde's sudden mood change as they read the following article. Relena's new beau, now known as Ivory DuMont, was relatively new to the social scene as well as handsome and very rich. Trowa, who had turned away for a minute, looked with troubled eyes toward Quatre, who couldn't even bring his fade up to glance at the story. 

"Is something wrong Quatre?" he asked gently as Duo teased Heero about getting dumped by Relena for a wine maker in the background. 

"Anou... " the blonde said softly, turning his face away from Trowa's piercing eyes.

"What is it Q?" Duo asked, his face now solemn as well. 

Quatre looked up at them all; they were waiting for him to speak. "There's something I didn't tell you about that night..." he began.

Seconds later Duo 's shout echoed through the wooden room.

"He's your WHAT?" 

"My nephew. You see, the year I was born my sister eloped with a foreigner to India where she had a son. When he was just a boy she abandoned him and only when he was about ten did we find him. But soon after he disappeared again only to show up at the school five more years later. It was chance that we found each other and the only reason that I'm alive today. He saved my life, twice." Quatre rang his hands together, sorrow showing behind his eyes.

Heero stood abruptly and suggested they go immediately to the Sanq kingdom. 

"If he is what I think he is... Relena may be in mortal danger." He offered. 

They all agreed. People like Ivory didn't fall in love with people like Relena without some ulterior motive. They would have to move fast, he wasn't the kind of professional who stayed long at any task.Quatre watched as Trowa and Heero discussed travel arrangements. Ivory, what are you planning? He wondered. He knew what the boy was capable of and hoped that they would reach there in time to stop anything dreadful from happening.

 

*******************

 

Chateaux de L'orages  
Nantes City  
Sanq kingdom

Ivory threw the riding jacket that he had just tugged off of his back over the carved wooden chaise. The navy garment was muddy and damp with sweat. He and Relena had gone riding alone, galloping over the lush green countryside. They had finally stopped at a small grove for a while to rest, lying on the grass cuddled together. They had been in deep lip lock for only two minutes when it began to rain. Relena laughed as they ran for shelter, skidding and sliding over the already muddy ground. 

Under the shelter if a large tree they kissed while the rain dripped through the thick foliage. He shook his head at the memory, stripping out of the rest of the dirty smeared habit. Playing loving boyfriend was never his thing. He couldn't believe that she would take his sob story to heart like that. Struggling French orphan, trying to make it in the big bad world. It was what she wanted to hear... what made him even more alluring. 

He had just slipped the spotless white towel around his waist when there was a sharp rapid knock on the door. Ivory paused. The knock came again, harder and more commanding. He sighed and opened the door completely, not caring if his half-naked state raised eyebrows. The hawk faced governess scowled at him through the open doorway, her tight hard face glaring at him with daggers in her eyes. Not now you old bitch, Ivory grumbled inwardly as she stalked past him into the suite. 

"Is there something you wanted Madam Lyons?" he inquired with a false courtesy. 

She spun on her low heels to stare him straight in the eye. "I should be asking the same of you Monsieur DuMont... if that is even your real name." She spat.The blonde raised an eyebrow. 

"Whatever do you mean Madam?" he asked, feigning shock.

"Listen here boy..." she growled, leaning closer, "... my sole duty is protect Mademoiselle Peacecraft ...sometimes even from herself and I'll be damned if I let a little con artist impostor like you come here and hurt her in any way. I checked up on you. There is no winery in the countryside. According to my sources...you don't even exist. I'm on to you... and soon the police will be too. Just you wait until Mademoiselle Peacecraft hears of this. You will not be able to swindle her anymore you... you gold digger you!"

Ivory chuckled and shook his head. "Poor Madam Lyons..." he sighed, walking towards her slowly. 

For every step forward, she took one back until she was against the wall. Quickly he pinned her down, his hand over her mouth and nose to stop her from screaming. He looked into her eyes, no longer hard and angry but afraid. With a small smirk he tightened his grip on her face, cutting off the air to her aging lungs. 

"Poor poor madam Lyons. I didn't want it to come to this." He said as she struggled to breathe. "There was no need for you to die. Relena is the only one I'm here for. But thus is the price of war I suppose, sacrifices must be made in order to complete the mission. I am sure you would be touched if I told you that Relena would miss you terribly after you were gone but I'm afraid she won't be alive long enough to find out that you were dead. A real pity, no?"

The old woman's eyes widened as she realized his intention. She tried to struggle but he was too strong and she was on the verge of collapsing. Ivory held steadfast as she slowly went limp, her dark beady eyes rolling back into her head. Slowly he let her body slide down the wall to land with a soft thump on the lush carpet. He looked down at her dead body and pondered the change in plans. I have to move fast, he thought, the job must be done tonight before it's too late. Hastily he slipped on a pair of tight black jeans and a slim fitting black turtleneck. 

Stuffing a black skullcap into his back pocket he slipped into the deserted corridor, swiftly dragging the body quietly until he came to her personal quarters. Dragging the corpse into the private toilette he ran hot bath in the large tub. He then stripped the still warm body clean and slid it into the tub. He held the body under the water for a few minutes to ensure that if an autopsy were to be done that water would be found in her lungs. Cases of seniors drowning in the bath were not uncommon and it seemed the perfect way to dismiss foul play. Satisfied with his work, he clicked on the old radio and slipped out of the room just as quietly and headed down the darkened corridor into the shadows.

 

*************************

 

Peacecraft Manor  
Bordeaux City  
Sanq Kingdom

Lucrezia Noin listened carefully while the gundam pilots explained their sudden appearance. The possibility that the Ivory DuMont she had met and liked right off the bat could be a cold- blooded mercenary was beyond her grasp. It took some charismatic persuasion from Duo and a shocking confession from Quatre for her to spring into action. To have the princess of the Sanq kingdom in the clutches of a killer was frightening. All calls to the summerhouse proved ineffective as the stormy weather in that area had felled an important phone line. They would just have to rush to Nantes in the hope that they were not already too late.

 

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11:56pm  
Boat House  
Chateaux de L'orages  
Nantes City  
Sanq kingdom

Relena shivered slightly, not from the cold but from barely suppressed excitement. Ivory had surprised her with a midnight rendezvous at the boathouse. She was almost certain that they were going to make love tonight. Ivory seemed extra charming, whispering in her ears as they hurried to the lake side structure with only a small lamp to guide them. The moon was smothered completely by the receding storm clouds that drenched the earth earlier. She looked out onto the lake, the water dark and thick like oil in the dark night air.

She looked around. Ivory had gone into a side room, leaving her alone on the deck. As she stepped closer to the small lamp her foot brushed against some tarpaulin. She muttered a curse as she kicked the fool thing for smearing her shoe with some kind of goo. As she kicked it once more the tarp flipped over, revealing a head of hair. She swallowed a scream, lifting the covering the rest of the way with trembling hands. Wide unseeing eyes stared up at her and she backed away in shock. She turned and almost slammed into Ivory who stood directly behind her.

"Oh Ivory!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck.

With an icy glare he peeled her off of him and pushed her to the ground. She could only stare in shock as he began to tie her feet with a thin tight band. As she tried to speak he quickly stuffed a dirty rag in her mouth, ignoring the choking sound she made. She finally came to her senses and began to struggle but it was too late. After tying her wrists he dragged her unceremoniously by her feet over to where the corpse lay.The gag muffled her screams as she continued to fight against him. Annoyed, he backhanded her, snapping her face to the side. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the stinging pain of the blow sank in. he then stood and looked down at her quivering form. 

"You want to know why don't you?" he asked. Her pleading eyes gave the answer.

"I don't like to talk while I'm working but I guess you deserve an explanation. It's just a job to me... it was never anything more. You were my target... I am you executioner. I know you're thinking - 'he'll never get away with it' but you're wrong, I will. There's going to be a little accident... both of us are going to die in a freak fire during a secret rendezvous. Our friend here is going to play me of course..." he gestured to the body. 

" And you Relena are going to be playing your self. Don't worry, the bands that are holding you are very special. They burn right away under heat, leaving no trace whatsoever. "

He picked up a large can of fuel and began wetting the wooden deck. As he poured the thick fluid on her, Relena struggled but in vain. The bands were too strong. She still couldn't believe that he had betrayed her. This was her Ivory, her soul mate... how could he? He squatted near her once again, tilting her face to his. 

"Don't worry ma Cherie... I won't let you suffer. I promise you won't feel a thing." 

She felt a sudden pin prick in her arm. He had injected something into her while she wasn't looking. She panicked, the numbness that started in her arm now spreading over her body. She looked up at him with pleading eyes but he shook his head in mock sorrow. It was too late already. He lay her limp body back against the cold tarp as her eyes lost that small spark of life. Too bad, he thought, for one so young to die...ah well... ces't la vie! 

He stood. Now... to finish the job. He struck a long match watching the bright flame as it flickered in the breeze off the lake. 

"Don't move!" a loud feminine voice commanded from the doorway. 

It was Lucrezia Noin. How did she get here? As she edged closer to him he could see a familiar shape behind her. It was the pilot Heero Yuy. That means that little Quatre is somewhere out there, he smirked. Noin's eyes widened as she beheld the lifeless body of the princess. He took those seconds of shock to make his move. With one swift movement he dropped the match and buried his trademark stiletto in the woman's chest. 

Heero watched in shock as Noin flew backwards into his arms. The gun he was holding on the blonde went off blindly, catching Ivory in the stomach. The Japanese boy gave a shout as the assassin fell back into the murky water with a large splash. Heero dropped the gun and lifted the bleeding woman into his arms. The fire around the bodies were spreading, getting closer to the reserve fuel tanks, the boathouse was going to blow any minute.

As he darted out of the building, motioning the other pilots and house security back. Then, with an earthshaking explosion, the building went up in a ball of flames, showering burning debris on the surrounding area. Heero fell from the shock wave, covering Noin's body with his. She was bleeding profusely from the deep puncture wound and as he watched, she struggled with her last breath then went limp in his arms. 

The others could only stare in shock as the fact that both Noin and Relena were dead finally sank in. Wufei bowed his head in reverence while Duo could only stare speechlessly at the smoldering boathouse. Quatre wept openly in Trowa's arms. There was no way that anyone could have survived the blast, he admitted to himself, so many had died tonight... so many good people. Relena, Noin... Terri. Madam Lyons had been found earlier in her bathtub, it looked like a drowning but they all suspected fowl play. 

He looked up at the moon, which was now emerging from behind the thick clouds to shine down on the horrific sight. As he and Trowa finally turned away, he knew that things would never be the same.

 

*********************

 

1:08am  
Shore of the Loire River.  
Sanq Kingdom. 

A pale hand twitched slightly scraping at the wet dirt. The hand twitched again, followed by the arm. Blonde hair dragged wet and limp on the muddy shore as the head moved. A low groan came from the body, pain spread like fire through every muscle. Icy blue eyes blinked open, adjusting to the thick darkness. A clumsy hand fumbled over the taut stomach, pulling up the damp cloth to reveal a thin plate of body armor, complete with a flattened bullet. 

Ivory groaned again and turned unto his back. He was alive... but dead tired. Muscles he didn't know he had hurt like hell as he struggled to get up. The lonely stretch of shore was deserted so he collapsed back unto the slippery dirt. Like a maniac he giggled at his good fortune. Thank you technology for great body armor, he chuckled. 

Then he got serious. His dagger... damn...it was back at the boathouse. What a loss, he griped, but a small price to pay for life. He chuckled again, ... and I can always go back and see if I can find it. It should have survived the fire.... And who would ever expect a 'dead man' to return to the scene of the crime. He laughed aloud at that. 

As far as the world is concerned... Ivory DuMont was dead; Relena's killer died in the blast... and he for one intended to keep it that way.

 

 

..Finis..

 

Well ?... what do you think?  
(waits tentatively in the wings for either roses or   
tomatoes from the silent audience)

You thought they were going to save Relena in the nick of time didn't you?  
I wanted the bad guy to be competent and successful for once. They're always screwing up and getting caught or killed.

Notes: To lazy... to put on bottom... must sleep...

We shall assume that France is now known as the Sanq kingdom because Sanq sounds French to me. And Relena's castle is in the new capital is in Bordeaux after Paris was destroyed the first time the Sanq kingdom was attacked. 

[1] I think by then Apple would have come up with something newer than I-book.  
[2] French for shower stall  
[3] House of the Storms (french)  
[4] Made up a drug. Hope there's no real drug by this name.


End file.
